Tilbury 1-4 Canvey Island

Canvey Island ended their involvement in this season’s Velocity Trophy with a 4-1 win away to Tilbury on Tuesday night.

Manager Mark Bentley made five changes from the side that were disappointingly beaten 3-0 at home to Histon on Saturday.

Full backs Dan Humphreys and Max Kent were not involved, with Sam Dulieu in at right back and Alex Stephenson shuffling across to left back. James White dropped back into central defence alongside Michael Finneran.

Matt Lock, White’s central midfield partner on Saturday, dropped to the bench, with their places in the middle of the park taken by Albert Levett and Rob Lacey. The final change was the introduction of Ryan Melaugh on the left wing who came in for Josh Hutchinson.

The Tilbury side included a number of former-Canvey players, with John Easterford, Adam Topley and Marlon Agyakwa in the starting XI and David Knight on the bench.

Canvey took the lead after only five minutes when Rob Lacey played a lofted ball down the left for Freddy Eastwood. He held the ball up well, laying it off for Ryan Melaugh who sent a dangerous cross into the area.

The ball was allowed to travel across the face of goal, being turned in to his own net by Joseph Burgess before Kane Gilbert could finish at the back post.

They came close again on 12 minutes when Jason Hallett was hauled down just outside the box on the left. James White whipped a good dead ball into the box which was eventually headed towards goal by Rob Lacey, although his effort was straight at Christian North who saved.

North was called into action again on 17 minutes when the home defence allowed Kane Gilbert time and space and line up a shot from 25 yards. The winger connected sweetly with a left-footed effort towards the top corner, but the keeper was well positioned to parry to ball away.

Tilbury’s hit the target for the first time a minute later when they were awarded a corner which was delivered deep into the box. John Easterford headed the ball back across goal, but thankfully Albert Levett was on hand to head the ball off the line as the man on the post.

The match started to get a bit stretched at this point, with both teams trading chances in front of goal.

On 23 minutes a good ball from the right by Kane Gilbert was met on the far side by Jason Hallett, but his volley went wide of the target from 12 yards.

Up the other end five minutes later, Adam Topley received possession 25 yards from goal and hit a low shot which went inches wide of the bottom corner. Lamar Johnson had dived full to his left to keep the shot out but whether he would have saved it if the shot had been on target was unclear.

Jason Hallett did well on the half hour mark to take a ball over the top in his stride and play it through for ex-Tilbury winger Ryan Melaugh to run onto. He hit a low shot which arrowed back across goal but was saved by Christian North.

It was from one former-Dockers wide man to a present day one four minutes later when Ola Ogunwamide cut in from the right and made his was across the edge of the box. He pulled the trigger as he reached the D, although his strike was straight at Lamar Johnson who dropped down and saved comfortably.

Canvey doubled their lead on 39 minutes when Kane Gilbert found Sam Dulieu down the right wing. Dulieu took the ball infield before smashing an excellent shot across goal and in from a tight angle to get his name on the scoresheet for the first time.

Brian Moses should have pulled a goal back for the hosts on 43 minutes when Ogunwamide played a low ball in from the left which put it on a plate for the tall striker. However, Moses’ first time shot was straight at Lamar Johnson who was able to save and hold high above his head.

The Gulls found themselves 3-0 up a minute later in bizarre circumstances when they were awarded a free kick 35 yards from goal on the left. James White lofted the ball into the box which Christian North stood and watched as it missed everyone and sailed into the top corner.

Tilbury reduced the arrears on 53 minutes when Canvey gave the ball away in their own half. Ola Ogunwamide got his head down and drove towards goal, sitting James White down before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.

Canvey created a couple of half chances to restore their three-goal cushion, but James White shot over following a quick free kick on the hour mark before Tobi Joseph shot across goal and wide from the left five minutes later.

The final 20 minutes saw Tilbury lay siege on the Canvey goal to try and get back into the match and score the three goals they needed to progress into the knockout stages.

Ola Ogunwamide got the better of Alex Stephenson on 71 and 73 minutes, but on both occasions Lamar Johnson was able to produce a good save to deny the pacey winger.

John Easterford then saw a header from a corner kept out on the line for the second time of the evening on 74 minutes. This time it was Rob Lacey who was the man on the post who got the all-important touch, looping a header up and onto the roof of the net.

The ball did come off of Easterford and hit the back of the net eight minutes later, but not in the way that he would have wanted. A Canvey counter saw Joseph attack down the right, with his shot from 18 yards catching a deflection over the defender’s sliding challenge and flying past the keeper high into the goal.

Tilbury substitute Oliver Spooner did have a chance late on to grab a consolation when he latched onto a lofted through ball, but an unfortunate bobble just as he was preparing to shoot caused him to scuff his effort wide.

The result meant that the Dockers missed out on a trip to Potters Bar Town in the knockout stages, with Basildon United being the team to progress instead.